Mail-arranging device.



PATENTBD SEPT. 8

v. GLAJNDBRYSON. v MAIL ARRANGING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.] .8,1908.

W? 7' Ale-5555;

VERNER G. ANDERSON, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

MAIL-ARRANGING- DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. s, 1908.

Application filed February 18, 1908. Serial No. 416,627.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VERNER G. ANDERSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Worcester,- county of Worcester, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail- Arranging Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a device adapted for use in the mail sorting room of postofiices; and the object is to provide means to enable the letter-carrier or post-man to quickly arrange his letters, newspapers, or other paper mail matter, in their proper order for delivery throughout his route or district.

My invention consists of a frame having e series of arms slidably mounted thereon, said arms serving to provide various compiling divisions for the mail matter, a strap to inclose the mail matter, and operating means to permit swinging the arms free of contact With the mail matter, after the same has been compiled in its respective divisions, all of the novel construction and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of my mail arranging device. Figs. 2 and 3, are front end views of the device, illustrating the closed and opened positions, respectively, of the operating parts. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view of the device, taken on line a:,cc, of Fig. l, and, Fig. 5 is a rear view of the device.

Like reference characters indicate like parts.

The frame of my device comprises vertical end walls a and b, andhorizontal shafts c, 0 having concentrically reduced end por- 'tions 0, projecting through said walls, and

which portions are screw-threaded to receive a washer. d and nut c, to impinge against in holding said walls firmly to said shafts.

' The walls a and b have laterally extending cars a, and I) which are perforated to receive screws f, f for securing the said frame to a bench or table. These walls a and I), which are substantially alike, are stamped from sheet metal. The upper portion of the wall a is slitted to form a tongue c which is bent inwardly of and extends parallel with said wall, to permit of passing a leather strap g beneath said tongue and over upon the slitted portion of said wall, in the manner shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Between theshafts c, c, which extend in horizontal alinement to each other, are two rods 0 0 whose ends are secured to said shafts, and these rods serve as supports for the body portion of the belt or strap g. 1

On the frame, above described, is mounted -two rock-shafts h, h, which are square-shaped in cross-section, and each of these shafts has its ends concentrically reduced so as to dis pose cylindrical portions 7t, h to loosely enter through each wall (t and I). These shafts 7t, 7t extend in horizontal alinement to each other between the walls of the frame, and on each shaft 71, is mounted a series of L-shaped arms or separators i, t, and each of these members are constructed alike and stamped from thin sheet metal. Each arm i has an overlapping or upturned portion 0, and through the two walls, formed by this portion of the arm, is provided square openings registering opposite each other and. of a size to receive the flat sides of either shaft 7. When the arms i are in a closed position their outer free portions project transversely over and beyond the frame of the device, in the manner shown in Figs. 2 and 4. From the upturned portion t" each arm has an extension i which acts as a handle to slide the arm to its proper position upon either shaft h, and the bottom of each portion '5 is provided with a screw-threaded opening to re ceive a thumb-screw j, to impinge against inholding the arm firmly upon its shaft. An ordinary clip It is mounted and held by frictional contact upon the outerfree portion of each arm t, and each clip has the name ofstreet marked thereon, in the manner shown in Fig. 2.

One end of the fixed shafts c has its'reduced screw-threaded portion 0 projecting through. vertically arranged slotted. openings Z, Z, formed in a plate Z, which is slidably mounted on the front frame-wall a of the device. The lower part of the plate Z has two laterally projecting lugs Z Z arranged to engage with knee-levers m, m, which are secured on the reduced portions of the rockshafts h, h, by'screws 'n, n. An operating handle 0 is made fast to the plate Z, to cause the arms or separators '21 to be swung to an opened or closed position. Disks p are perforated to fit the fiat sides of t e rockshafts h, h, and each disk has a bent portion 1) overlapping the edge of the frame-wall t,

movement of the arms or separators.

fladl to act as sto s to abut shoulders b b, of the frame wall in order to limit the swing- The arms or separators i are adjusted a proper distance apart from each other to suit the space or division required for the average amount of mail matter to be delivered on each different street.

Each letter carrier or post-man is sup- 10 posed to have sole use of a mail arranging device, as above described, and after .he has once arranged the members i in their proper location on the frame, these members may not require adjustment for some time.

Having described the parts embodying my invention, the manner of making use of the device is as follows: First, the buckle end portion 1 of the strap 9 is brou ht beneath thctongue a of the frame-wall a and the body portion of said strap is then laid upon the supports 0 and its opposite free portion resting upon the frame-wall b, in the manner shown in Fig. 1. Next, a downward ressure is exerted upon the handle 0 of the pate Z, to cause the lugs Z of the latter to force down the knee-levers m and thereby swing each series of arms or separators i toward each other to their closed position, when the device is now ready to receive the mail matter, as in the positionof parts shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The carrier then places the different addressed letter-mail 1n its proper street-division, formed by the space between each arm i, so that the edge of each mailing letter, designated by reference character 0" rests upon the body of the strap 9 and frame-shafts c, in the manner shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4. After all of the mail matter has been compiled in its proper order upon the device, the carrier exerts a lifting pressure upon the handle 0 to force up the knee levers m and thereby cause thearms to separate or swing free of contact with the letter-mail, to their 0 ened ositi'on shown in Fig. 3, and, finally, t .e buc le portion q of the strap is removed from osition on the frame-wall a and the other or ree portion of said strap brought over the now compiled mail matter andsecured by said buckle. lhus, after each mail matter is bundled together, each letter-mail is in its roper place, one after the other, for each delivery by the carrier as he traverses from one street to another throughout his route. Instead of at taching a clip is to each arm t, the latter may be marked in any suitable manner, to indicate the name of street. The members a, b, i, l, m and p are each stam Jed from thin sheet metal, to not only lessen t e cost in the manufacture, but also toprovide a light, compact and durable device, which is not liable to get to out of order.

Havin described my invention, what I claim anc desire to secure by Letters-Patent, 1s

1. In a mail arranging device; a frame having horizontal rods therebetween to serve as supports for the letter-mail; a strap to rest upon the supports of said frame; rock-shafts mounted on said frame; a series of L-shaped arms adj ustably secured on each of said arms, each series of arms extending toward each other to provide different divisions for the receival of different letter-mail, and each arm having at its outer free'portion a streetname marked thereon, and meansto operate in swinging each series of arms free of contact with the letter-mail, afterthe latter has been compiled in its respective division between said arms.

2. In a mad arranging devlce, a frame hav- 1n 'a hor1zontal support to receive the edge of letter-mail; astrap to lay upon the support' of said frame and beneath the letter-mail;

rock-shafts mounted on said frame, and each shaft square-shaped in cross-section; L- shaped arms havlng one of their ends made to fit and slideupon each shaft and their outer free ortions extending toward each other in or er to provide various compiling diviaipns for the letter-mail; means to secure each arm. to each shaft; and means to cause the arms to separate from contact with the letter-mail.

3'. In a mail arranging device, a frame hav.

ing a horizontal support; a removable strap to rest u on the support of said frame; two rock-'sha ts mounted on said frame and each shaft square-shaped in cross-section a kneelever secured upon each of said shafts; a plate slidably mounted on said frame and having a fixed operating handle and integral.

lugs, respectively, the latter to contact with each knee-lever; a series of L-shaped arms, one end of each made to fit and slide upon each of said shafts, and said arms arranged in such manner that their outer free ortions extend toward each other alternately t rou h out each series, and each arm provided wit 1 a different street name marked thereon, and

means to limit the swing-movement of each 

